Fours are the Machine that Florence has been trying and failing to build. Whilst hers seems made of spare parts from Fleetwood Mac albums and Grace Slick footage, Fours feel more like the real deal. Rather than dabble in retro soundings and playing the nostalgic heartstrings, they are very much springing off from the same starting point but diving into more forward thinking waters.
It has the same slick pop foundation, the arty-indie musical fashion statements and the accessible groove, which has one foot in underground credibility and the other in mainstream commerciality. The big difference is that you don’t have to put up with the aforementioned Florence’s overly earnest nead to succeed; Fours just do so without breaking a sweat. Not for them her clichéd magic roundabout of aimless songmanship and need to be adored, just a joyride down the super-highway towards a bright future.